1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser package for flowable products and the like and, more specifically, to certain new and useful improvements in the configuration and structure of a dispenser package which contains and dispenses a quantity of flowable product normally called for in a single use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various attempts have heretofore been made to provide a dispenser package into which a flowable product may be packaged in the quantity normally required for a single use, and from which such flowable material may be dispensed.
The Redmond U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,640 (hereinafter the 640 patent) discloses a dispenser package which represents a marked improvement over prior package structures in that it accomplishes efficient dispensing of a predetermined quantity of the contents with a one-handed motion and without presenting the opening difficulties previously associated with opening by removal of a cover or tearing of an envelope or pouch.
However, in the Redmond 640 patent, the flowable product is contained within a pouch formed by a flexible sheet material secured adjacent its edges to one face of a sheet of relatively stiff material. The flexible sheet material thereby defines a single pouch of essentially constant depth along the length of the relatively stiff material. Similarly, in the pending Redmond et al application Ser. No. 442,813, the flexible sheet material secured adjacent one face of the relatively stiff material defines essentially a single pouch such that a flowable product contained therein flows throughout the pouch without restriction upon application of pressure thereto.
While the structures of each of the 640 patent and application Ser. No. 442,813 have been and continue to be commercially successful, it has been found that the aforementioned pouch configurations may be substantially improved for certain uses. Thus, it has been found that for certain flowable substances, for example, catsup, upon rupture of the fault line (as in the 640 patent) or of the protrusion member displacing the fault line (as in application Ser. No. 442,813), the pressure generated by the bending motion on the flowable substance in the center of the pouch directly behind the fault line causes a small amount of material to squirt or "spit" out of the opening at the instant of rupture.
In addition, the aforementioned Redmond et al application Ser. No. 442,813, discloses, in pertinent part, the use of a protrusion member displacing at least a portion of the fault line out of the plane of the relatively stiff member which has a substantially pyramidal shape and displaces the fault line across the apex thereof. Here again, while this structure is entirely satisfactory and is applicant's preferred embodiment, it has been found that the dies necessary to produce the pyramidal shape may be difficult and expensive to manufacture.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved dispenser package for flowable products.
A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved dispenser package which improves prior dispenser packages in the containment of flowable products in that it eliminates squirting or "spitting" of the flowable product out of the package at the instant of rupture along the fault line.
Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved means for rupturing tough materials or combinations thereof upon their being bent into a "V" shape.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved dispenser package which improves prior dispenser packages in the containment of flowable products by providing a structure which not only greatly increases and concentrates the stress applied to the relatively stiff side to enable rupture of even relatively tough materials or laminates with a bending action developed by the use of only one hand, and which may be easily manufactured in high speed, low cost quantities.
Objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations, steps and improvements herein shown and described.